Pistol dry fire device

ABSTRACT

This pistol dry fire device enables multiple dry fire trigger pulls with just one racking of the slide or cocking of the semi-automatic double action only pistol without any modifications to the pistol or the standard magazine. Since the device is constructed from an impact resistant material that is inserted behind the slide and in front of the flush mounted hammer, the hammer does not contact the firing in when the device is properly positioned, rotated 90 degrees and locked in place, preventing damage to the pin, but does allow the hammer to fall and the trigger to reset as when live fire is conducted. This reset then allows for another trigger pull without racking the slide. The device also creates a visual failsafe condition without interfering with the pistol&#39;s normal functions or sights.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates to dry firing apparatus for pistols. Moreparticularly, this invention relates to dry firing apparatus for certainsemi-automatic pistols equipped with recessed energy yielding hammers,including the Ruger LCP and similar models. This invention is notcompatible with revolvers.

The present invention relates to the field of firearms, and, moreparticularly to the usage of trigger actuated firearms, pistols andtraining devices. The device serves to allow dry firing of a pistol fortraining and practice.

Dry firing is a practice employed by shooters to develop trigger controlwithout expending ammunition or having to contend with the pistol'srecoil or report. Repeatedly dry firing the pistol allows the shooter todevelop the ability to accurately fire their pistol of choice. Theshooter's control is enhanced by practice, with concentration on stance,grip with the dominate hand, support of the grip with the non-dominatehand, the position of the trigger finger during firing, maintaining thesight picture during multiple shots and focusing on development of thedesired trigger press, reset and repress.

Prior to the development of this invention, dry fire practice withsmaller, double-action only hammer-fired semi-automatic pistols resultedin more time spent loading magazines with dummy rounds and racking theslide (re-cocking the pistol) than in practicing accurate shootingbasics. This invention also allows for dry firing with the user's pistolof choice and a standard magazine in place. This is a feature which wasnot previously available with any known invention.

There is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,089 to Meyer, a self-ejectingsafety device for a pistol equipped with an exposed hammer, designed toprevent the hammer from accidently contacting the firing pin should thehammer be subjected to an impact load, such as being dropped, when around of ammunition is in the firing chamber. This device consists of ablocking member, which fits between the hammer and firing pin, and isheld in place by the pressure of the hammer. The device contains aself-ejection mechanism consisting of a spring mounted in the body ofthe blocking member and a retractable shaft which acts in relation tothe spring. The shaft retracts into the blocking member when loadedagainst the base of the hammer. When the hammer is pulled hack prior tofiring, the force of the hammer no longer retains the blocking member,allowing the spring to advance the retractable shaft which, in turn,forces the safety device to be ejected from the pistol. This safetydevice must be manually re-inserted after every firing to re-safe thepistol. This invention is not a dry-fire practice device as it isejected upon the first pull back of the hammer, permitting the pistol tobe fired immediately in a normal manner. Nor does it provide a method torepeatedly dry-fire the pistol when a live round of ammunition is in thefiring chamber.

Another method employed to permit repeated dry-firing of a pistol is theuse of a cartridge with the same caliber and weight as a live cartridgewhich will permit dry-firing without causing damage to the pistol, asshown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,405,308 to Jack and U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,350 toSeminiano. The cartridges provide a yielding resistance to the firingpin approximately equivalent to that provided by the explosion of theprimer of a live cartridge of the same caliber. Replacement of a livecartridge with the dry-fire cartridge is required to permit dry-firing.This provides no external indication of what type of cartridge has beenloaded into the firing chamber making determination of the pistol'ssafety impossible to determine from external viewing. A similar deviceis shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,615 to Peterken which is primarilydesigned for use in a rifle. The difference from the previous inventionsbeing that it is placed in the breech with a portion extending into thebarrel for stability. All inventions of this type require exchange ofthe dry-fire and live fire cartridges to permit change-over of thepistol from a dry-fire to live-fire condition.

There is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,570 to Browning a dry-firing andsafety device for pistols consisting of a combination or elements andparts for a pistol which provides for the functions of safe, dry-fireand normal operation. The device is intended to be adopted to the pistolmanufacturing process and is not suitable for installation into existingfirearms not already equipped with such a device.

There is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,081 to Izumi a dry-fire unitwhich requires replacement for the standard pistol firing pin with analternate device consisting clan energy-absorbing wedge which is struckby the hammer of the firearm when the trigger is pulled. The removal andreplacement of the firing pin is a modification to the firearm whichrequires partial firearm disassembly of the small parts associated withthe firing pin assembly. This process is prohibitive to persons not ableto handle such small parts or not well trained in the assembly andmaintenance of the firearm. The replacement process exposes small,precise parts to potential contamination from exposure to dust, dirt andother materials and damage due to mishandling while they are storedoutside of the firearm. Replacement of the firing pin is a major,complicated activity. Additionally, this device docs not provide formultiple dry-firing with only a single racking of the slide or cockingof the hammer.

This invention overcomes problems with and is distinct from thereferenced patents for dry-fire devices by eliminating the need tomodify the firearm in any manner or replace parts to permit dry-firingand providing for multiple dry-firings without the need to rack theslide or cock the hammer for each dry-fire.

It is the object of this invention to provide pistol dry fire devicewhich allows failsafe operation of the pistol's trigger mechanism bypreventing the hammer from contacting the firing pin.

It is another object of this invention to permit placement and operationof the dry fire device without the need to dissemble, replace parts,reassemble, or modify the pistol in any manner.

It is another object of this invention to permit practice dry tiring ofmultiple shots with just the initial racking of the slide or cocking ofthe pistol.

It is another object of this invention to prevent possible damage to thepistol's firing pin or hammer while being dry fired.

It is another object of this invention to permit dry firing using thepistol of choke employing either standard or extended magazines in placewithout any modifications made to the pistol or the pistol s firingmechanism.

Description of the Prior Art

A dry fire device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,081 whichdiscloses a firing pin replacement device that requires replacement ofthe pistol's original firing pin. The use of the referenced devicerequires that ammunition first be unloaded and the pistol to bepartially disassembled in order to facilitate replacement of the stocktiring pin. After replacement of the stock firing pin with thereferenced dry fire device, the pistol must be reassembled before dryfiring can be commenced. The assembly procedure must be reversed inorder to replace the dry fire device with the original firing pin beforereturning the pistol to normal operating condition. The referenced dryfire device requires an operator skilled in the workings and assembly ofthe pistol. When compared with other dry fire devices, this invention isthe only one that permits dry firing of a pistol without modification,while preventing possible damage to the firing pin or hammer, whichwould shorten the life of the pistol.

Other dry-fire inventions have employed the use of dummy pistols whichdo not provide the same weight and feel of the pistol of choice, involveinsertion of devices in into the firing chamber area or use dummyrounds. Each of these inventions requires racking of the slide orre-cocking the pistol before additional practice shots can be taken.None of them provide the exact feel of the user's pistol of choice whichis maintained with this invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The dry fire device is a non-metallic insert which fits into the openingcreated between the hammer and firing pin assembly of a pistol whichoccurs when the trigger is slightly pressed. The slight press of thetrigger causes the hammer to be moved away from the firing. pin withoutbeing released to fall. Once inserted, the dry fire device absorbsimpact from the hammer and allows for a proper reset of the trigger,which, in turn, enables an additional press of the trigger after thehammer fall. The dry fire device permits unobstructed sighting on thetarget and multiple trigger pulls, including hammer fails, without theneed to rack the slide after each trigger pull. The dry fire device isan energy-absorbing material that is shaped to be positioned between thefiring pin and hammer. The dry fire device is struck by the hammer whenthe pistol trigger is pulled, instead of the hammer striking the firingpin. This allows the pistol to be dry fired, preventing cracking,peening or otherwise damaging the hammer which would be caused by metalon metal contact.

Installation is achieved by slightly pressing on the pistol's trigger,which results in the hammer moving back and away from the firing pin.This provides access space for the pistol dry fire device to beinstalled. The pistol dry fire device is then locked into place byrotating it by ninety degrees (90°).

The pistol dry fire device is removed at the end of firing practice byslightly pressing on the trigger, which results in the hammer movingback and away from the firing pin. The dry fire device is then rotatedninety degrees (90°), which unlocks it from the slide. It can then beremoved from the pistol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a section view of a typical pistol showing the installedplacement of the dry fire device.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the dry fire device showing the variousfeatures of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the dry fire device.

FIG. 4 is a front end view of the dry fire device.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the dry fire device.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the dry fire device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment to be preferred of the pistol dry fire device of thepresent invention is here and in figures disclosed.

For clarity, within this document all reference to the dry fire devicewill correspond to the pistol dry fire device as oriented in FIG. 5; thetop of the figure when oriented such that the text is uprightcorresponding to top of the pistol dry fire device, and the bottom ofthe figure when oriented such that the text is upright corresponding tothe bottom of the pistol dry fire device. Likewise, all reference to thefront of the pistol dry fire device will correspond to the leftmost partof the pistol dry fire device as viewed in FIG. 4 when oriented with thetext upright.

FIG. 1 shows a section view of a semi-automatic compact pistol for whichthe dry firing device 1 of this invention is applicable. It should benoted that the dry firing device of this invention 1 has applications toother makes of firearms of both the same and different calipers. The dryfiring device of this invention made with different dimensions can beinterchanged with other pistols equipped with similar hammer and firingpin designs.

Referring to FIG. 1, the dry fire device 1 is shown installed in it'soperating position located between the hammer 2 and firing pin 14 of thepistol. The indicated position of the hammer 2 is achieved by a slightpull on the trigger 9 which engages the hammer 2 through the trigger bar3, holding it away from the firing pin 14 and supported by the hammercatch 6. The dry firing device 1 is inserted into the space between thehammer 2 and firing pin 14. Once inserted, the dry firing device 1 isrotated 90 degrees which engages a locking ring on the shaft of thedevice with a hold-open detent located on the pistol frame 4. Forclarity, the complex shape of the pistol frame 4 is not entirely shownon FIG. 1. The pistol grip and trigger guard 5 are shown for referencebut are not impacted by this invention. Dry firing is performed bycompleting the pull of the trigger 9 which further rotates the hammer 2.Once the full rotation of the hammer 2 is obtained, the trigger bar 3disengages and the hammer spring 7 pulls the hammer 2 toward the firingpin 14. Motion of the hammer 2 is stopped by the dry fire device 1 whichprevents it from contacting the firing pin 14. The firing pin 14 doesnot move and the firing pin spring 13 is not compressed by this action,thus no cartridge can be fired. Because no ignition of a cartridgeoccurs, the barrel 12 or slide 11 remain stationary and the recoilsprings 10 are not engaged. A complete trigger pull and hammer fall isachieved in this manner. The pistol may be dry fired with or without amagazine 8 in place, unless the pistol design requires a magazine to bein place to be fired.

FIG. 2-6 show ordinant and isometric views of the dry firing device 1.The head 15 serves as a stop to insure the proper seating of the dryfiring device 1 and prevent it from being inserted too far into thepistol. A sloped surface 16 provides clearance for an unobstructed viewalong the pistol's sights. Gripping ridges 17 on the bottom side of thehead 15 are provided to assist the operator with holding the dry firingdevice 1 and to facilitate engagement of the locking ring 21. A hammercut out 18 along the bottom edge of the head 15 provides the properclearance for seating the dry firing device above the hammer 2. An uppershaft 19 is shaped to fit through an opening in the slide 11. The lowershaft 20 is sized to fit though the frame 4 opening. A locking ring 21secures the dry fining device 1 in place when in use. Flat areas 23 onopposite sides of the locking ring 21 permit insertion of the devicethrough the frame 4. Once seated and turned, the locking ring 21 restsagainst the sides of the opening in the frame 4, preventing withdrawalduring use. The nose 22 is shaped to allow easy insertion through thevarious noted openings. Smooth transitions 24 are provided between eachchange in dimension to provide for smooth and easy insertion andretraction of the dry firing device 1. Radiused edges 25 are provided onall head 15 surfaces for snag-free operation and finger comfort.

The dry firing device as indicated in FIG. 1-6 is constructed as asingle unit from a material characterized as energy absorbing and ableto withstand compressive impact without failing or permanentlydeforming, having a smooth finish with a low coefficient of friction andable to withstand contact with lubricants and cleaning solvents expectedto be used with the operation and cleaning of a pistol. The materialshall be a synthetic, non-metallic and suitable for injection moldedfabrication.

The dry firing device 1 remains clearly visible when installed. Thispermits the operator to be aware at all times that the invention is inplace and preventing contact between the hammer 2 and firing pin 14,while allowing dry firing of the pistol without the need to re-cock thepistol between trigger 9 pulls.

This invention has the advantage of providing dry firing trigger pullsfor practice without the need to modify the pistol in any manner andpreventing possible damage to the hammer or firing pin which wouldotherwise be caused by their impact. Having thus described in detail apreferred embodiment of the pistol dry fire device of the presentinvention, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilledin the art that many changes not exemplified in the detailed descriptionof the invention could be made without altering the inventive conceptsand principles embodied therein. It is also to be appreciated thatnumerous embodiments incorporating only part of the preferred embodimentare possible which do not alter, with respect to those parts, theinventive concepts and principles embodied therein. The presentedembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects exemplaryand/or illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the inventionbeing indicated by the appended claims, and all alternate embodimentsand changes to the embodiments shown herein which come within themeaning and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore tobe embraced therein.

I claim:
 1. In combination with a double action, semi-automatic pistolhaving a recessed hammer movable from a cocked position to an energyrelease position and a firing pin, a dry firing device composed of aresilient, energy absorbing material molded into a single piece, shapedto be easily inserted into the pistol, locked in place in the path ofthe hammer preventing contact between the hammer and firing pin when dryfiring the pistol and removed from the pistol frame without the need tomodify the pistol or magazine in any manner.
 2. A dry firing device asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said device, when locked in position,provides for multiple pistol dry firings with only a single racking ofthe slide or cocking of the firearm.
 3. A dry firing device as claimedin claim 1 wherein said device projects from the pistol frame whenlocked in place so as to be readily visible, indicating the pistol is ina failsafe condition, without interfering with any of the pistol'sfunctions or the view along the sights.